Le mecredi

So, kids in France through elementary-level don’t have school on Wednesday. Don’t ask me why.

{OK if you must know…the best I’ve understood it is: something to do with the official split between church and state in 1905. After this, the Catholic church asked to have Wednesdays off, so children could receive the religious education they had previously received at school. So they got Wednesday off -but had to make up for it on Saturday mornings. So most French kids used to have school on Saturday morning – but a few years ago Nicolas Sarkozy made good on a campaign promise and passed a law that young kids can’t have school on Saturday -but then they didn’t have to go back on Wednesday}

ANYWAY – our kids don’t go to school on Wednesday. Which to me seems to actually make for a great rhythm for a small child. Basically they have: 2 days of school – break- 2 days of school – longer break. Lather, rinse, repeat.

In some ways it feels like they are only ever going to school on a Monday or a Friday -because it’s either their first day back – or their last day before a break. This weekly schedule also means that many activities are set for Wednesdays: gymnastics, rock-climbing, skiiing, ballet, music lessons etc. Our youngest two are in gymnastics, with Jonah having settled on rock-climbing. (After all – he is taking Fencing at school – so that is already taken care of)

Last Wednesday we went for a hike on a trail just up the road from us. It was a beautiful sunny day – and we had a great hike. This Wednesday afternoon (activities in the morning, then lunch,then homework) we went for a bike ride along the same trail.

Unfortunately -PhD studies do not seem to follow the same rhythm – so now that I have started my courses this may be the end for me.